My 3 Favorite Places to Buy Window Hardware

In a previous post I talked about how to choose the right window treatments for your project & now in this post I’m revealing a designer secret – the 3 best places to buy window hardware.

One of my biggest pet peeves is undressed windows. I always say the only thing worse than an undressed window is a poorly dressed one.

Over the years of decorating my own home & as an interior designer I’ve learned to break a lot of rules when creating beautifully functional meaningful spaces. And one of those rules is that window treatments don’t have to break the bank.

In fact, you can DIY the most beautifully dressed windows or work with a designer to create a custom look on a budget. In this post I’m sharing the 3 best places to buy window hardware for any given budget.

The Best Places to Buy Window Hardware

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IKEA

This is probably my absolute favorite for a few reasons:

1. Simple. Sometimes too many choices can be paralyzing. IKEA has just enough options to make it easy to choose. The only things you’ll have to consider are
   • Style – standard/traditional (rods), industrial (wire or track systems), or glam (the brass color is so pretty!).
   • Size – both length (for the width of the window) & thickness of the rod (depending on how heavy your window treatments are).
   • Color – do you want the hardware to blend in or stand out? Colors offered are classic black, white, silver color, brass color.
2. Inexpensive. I have created double rod systems for 140″ long windows with their heaviest option (Hugad) for around $15!! Their most expensive option – a triple rod combination – is only $25. Even if you purchase all the hardware components separately, prices range from $1 for brackets & $2 for small rods & finials to $10 for fancy finials. In the photo below, the hardware for both windows was a total of $12!!
3. Durable. Hugad is my absolute favorite because it is thick & heavy duty. In my own bedroom I’ve used a Hugad/Racka combination for blackouts with sheers underneath. It’s perfect because the rod disappears & the window treatments sort of “float” along the wall of windows.

Bed BAth & Beyond

A very VERY close 2nd to IKEA, (the new) BB&B is bomb! Yes it is. The only reason they come in 2nd is because of that simplicity thing!

I love what I do. When I choose anything for a client project I am very decisive & it is always dead on perfect for the client & the project.

BUT I can be very indecisive in our own home, which is not made easier by all the choices BB&B have to offer.

Luckily I have a few go-to items that have been tried & true over the years. Now anytime I need window hardware that’s a step up from the simpler options at IKEA, I know exactly which to reach for at BB&B.

The Cambria & Umbra brands are 2 of my favorite classics. Prices are competitive & very affordable. And there is the added bonus of being able to create semi-custom options for bay, bow, & square windows.

Custom

Of course custom window hardware is the most flexible and also the most expensive. The options are endless when you go custom.

For those reasons it’s best to work with an experienced designer or workroom if you go this route. It can save tons of time & money because it’s too easy to make a mistake in anything from measurements to materials.

The end result of choosing custom hardware (and window treatments) is a look that is unique & polished. I typically save this for a splurge in 2 types of spaces:

1. common spaces that need special functionality – like a media room with track window treatments or
2. semi-formal/formal spaces with decorative hardware that will always be seen.

Sometimes we have to pick & choose where we splurge in our home décor. That can often be hard to do & leave us with analysis paralysis. I hope this helps for next time you’re working on a project that includes window treatments.